| Royal Burgh of Ayr | |
| Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Àir [1] | |
| Scots: Ayr | |
Ayr War Memorial in Burns Statue Square |
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Royal Burgh of Ayr
Royal Burgh of Ayr shown within South Ayrshire |
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| Population | 46,050 (est. 2006), excluding Prestwick[2] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | NS338214 |
| Council area | South Ayrshire |
| Lieutenancy area | Ayrshire and Arran |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | AYR |
| Postcode district | KA6-KA8 |
| Dialling code | 01292 |
| Police | Strathclyde |
| Fire | Strathclyde |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock |
| Central Ayrshire | |
| Scottish Parliament | Ayr |
| South of Scotland | |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Ayr (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Àir Mouth of the River Ayr) is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205. Ayr is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire council area, which is the unitary local authority.
To the north of Ayr is the adjoining town of Prestwick, famous for its golf and its aviation industry as home of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Other neighbouring settlements include Alloway, known for its associations with the poet Robert Burns.
In 2002, Ayr was one of four Scottish towns competing for city status to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, losing out to Stirling.[3]
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On April 26, 1315, the first Parliament of Scotland was held in Ayr by Robert The Bruce at St.John's Tower by the sea. It was once known as 'Inverair/Inverayr' and this usage is still retained in the Scottish Gaelic form of the name Inbhir Air.
Later, during Cromwellian times, the town was used as a base and fortress for some of his men. Cromwell built a huge wall around certain areas of the town, most of which can still be seen today. St John's Tower, in that area, was originally part of a massive church, but the church was knocked down, and the tower was used to practise on, and is now protected by the "Friends Of Saint Johns Tower" (FROST) residents of the "Fort Area" nearby.
The Westminster constituency of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock is currently held by the Labour Party, the Member of Parliament being Sandra Osborne. From 1950 to 1997 the former Westminster constituency of Ayr was a Conservative seat. The Member of Parliament for most of this period was George Younger, who represented the constituency from 1964 to 1992.
In the Scottish Parliament, Ayr still exists as a constituency and has been represented by Conservative MSP John Scott since 2000.
Ayr is a coastal town which lies on the mouth of the River Ayr. The river then flows out into the larger Firth of Clyde. From the coast Arran can be seen and on a very clear day, the north tip of Northern Ireland. It is within the region of Strathclyde. Much of the land in and around this area is very flat and low lying. Much of the land however towards the south of Ayr is higher than most areas in the county of Ayrshire. Ayr lies approximately 35 miles southwest of Glasgow.
The nearest official Met Office weather station to Ayr is Auchincruive, about 2.4 miles to the West of Ayr town centre.
| Climate data for Auchincruive 48m asl, 1971-2000, Extremes 1960- | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.4 (57.9) |
14.8 (58.6) |
18.3 (64.9) |
23.5 (74.3) |
25.4 (77.7) |
29.4 (84.9) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.8 (85.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
22.2 (72.0) |
16.5 (61.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.7 (44.1) |
7.0 (44.6) |
8.6 (47.5) |
11.0 (51.8) |
14.6 (58.3) |
16.6 (61.9) |
18.3 (64.9) |
18.1 (64.6) |
15.7 (60.3) |
12.7 (54.9) |
9.3 (48.7) |
7.5 (45.5) |
12.2 (54.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) |
1.7 (35.1) |
2.8 (37.0) |
3.9 (39.0) |
6.2 (43.2) |
9.0 (48.2) |
11.2 (52.2) |
11.0 (51.8) |
9.1 (48.4) |
6.7 (44.1) |
3.7 (38.7) |
2.3 (36.1) |
5.8 (42.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −11.7 (10.9) |
−12.7 (9.1) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−4 (25) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
0.2 (32.4) |
2.2 (36.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−10.7 (12.7) |
−12.7 (9.1) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 97.3 (3.831) |
71.1 (2.799) |
80.4 (3.165) |
51.7 (2.035) |
51.0 (2.008) |
56.7 (2.232) |
70.0 (2.756) |
83.0 (3.268) |
101.5 (3.996) |
112.9 (4.445) |
105.4 (4.15) |
103.5 (4.075) |
984.4 (38.756) |
| Sunshine hours | 44.3 | 66.1 | 91.5 | 143.7 | 198.4 | 178.5 | 167.4 | 152.8 | 118.2 | 86.2 | 57.3 | 37.8 | 1,342.2 |
| Source no. 1: MetOffice[4] | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute/KNMI[5] | |||||||||||||
The area experiences very cool summers and somewhat warm winters. The air is cooler during the summer due to its proximity to the sea as water has a major cooling effect on summer temperatures. During the winter months the reverse happens and the sea air has a major warming effect on the climate. The area rarely ever sees extremes due to the effects of sea air. Rainfall is generally plentiful throughout the year due to Atlantic weather systems sweeping in from the west. Compared with the rest of Scotland, the area rarely sees much mist and fog. This is because the land is relatively flat and low lying and with the wind blowing across the flatter land, this generally hinders fog from developing widely. This has made Glasgow Prestwick International Airport particularly well known as one of the less fog-prone airports in Scotland. Snowfall is rare in this part of Scotland because of the mild sea air.[6]
| Firth of Clyde | Prestwick | Kilmarnock | ||
| Firth of Clyde | Cumnock | |||
| Ayr | ||||
| Maybole | Galloway | Patna |
Ayr's industry has flourished over the years mainly because of the River Ayr. Ships that were built on the mouth of the River Ayr in the eighteenth century improved Ayr's economy. From 1883 to 1901, 143 ships and barges were built on the Ayr by Samuel B Knight and the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company. Repair work on the Ayr ceased in 1960 when Ailsa moved its operations to Troon.
The North side of Ayr Harbour still operates as a commercial port today, mainly exporting coal, and extensive railway sidings still lead down from the main railway line near Newton-on-Ayr station.
In addition, the River Ayr and River Doon were used for the fishing of whitefish and salmon. These were then exported from Ayr Harbour.
Manufacturing of textiles such as carpets and lining was important to Ayr's economy until the factories closed in the 1970s. This caused mass unemployment in Ayr. Many of the old factories are still standing and can be seen on McCalls Avenue and Walker Road in Lochside, North Ayr, though many are derelict and unsafe. There was a large factory engaged in the production of fertilisers and other agricultural products. This has since closed, but parts of the old complex are sublet by local businesses.
Ayr has always been a hub for shopping in South Scotland with the first department store, Hourstons, opening in 1896. In the 1970s, Ayr flourished further with the opening of further stores including Marks and Spencers and Ayr's first shopping centre, the Kyle Centre (1988). Heathfield Retail park, an out-of-city retail park, opened in 1993 with shops such as Halfords and Homebase. Ayr Central Shopping Centre opened in March 2006 with shops such as Debenhams and H&M and underparking for 500 cars.
During the 19th and 20th centuries Ayr became a popular holiday resort. This was due to its fine sandy beach and its popularity was increased by the building of the rail link to Glasgow in 1840[7].
Ayr has three main roads serving the town:
Ayr railway station has services to Glasgow Central station with a half-hourly service except on Sundays. There are regular services to Stranraer, Girvan, Kilmarnock and Newcastle. These services are operated by SPT/First ScotRail.
The town has air links to European cities from Glasgow Prestwick International Airport just 2 miles from Ayr. Further destinations are available from Glasgow Airport, which is 35 miles away.
The town also has bus connections serving all of the town and Prestwick. These services are operated by Stagecoach West Scotland. The town has eight local services. There are express coaches to Glasgow Buchanan Street every 30–60 minutes. Ulsterbus operate bus services to Belfast via Stranraer Ferry service on Stena Line.
Although the town does not have any ferry services from its harbour, it has good access to ferry services mainly to Northern Ireland. Troon, 5 miles north of Ayr, has a seasonal service to Larne onboard P&O. Troon can also be reached by train with trains every 30 minutes, or by bus. Stranraer, 60 miles south of Ayr, has up to eight daily departures to Belfast.
In the early years of the burgh, Ayr's parish church was St John the Baptist. Today, Ayr has many churches of different denominations.
The Church of Scotland is the main denomination in Ayr, with nine churches spread throughout the town. The Roman Catholic Church has two churches, and the Diocese of Galloway Cathedral is in Ayr, St. Margaret's Cathedral. Previously there were three Roman Catholic churches. However, the Good Shepherd Cathedral closed in 2007. Baptist Church has one church located in Ayr i.e. Ayr Baptist. Riverside Church is a popular and modern evangelical church with Brethren roots, located in John Street in Ayr. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a church located in Ayr, at Orchard Ave and Mossgiel Rd.[8]
| Ayr compared[9] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Census 2001 | Ayr | Ayr & Prestwick | Scotland |
| Total population | 46,431 | 61,365 | 5,062,011 |
| Population growth 1991–2001 | -3.19% | -0.07% | 1.3% |
| White | 95.9% | 97.2% | 98.8% |
| Under 16 years old | 17.2% | 17.4% | 19.2% |
| Over 65 years old | 20.4% | 20.5% | 16.0% |
| Christian | 69.6% | 70.1% | 65.1% |
| No Religion | 23.9% | 23.8% | 27.6% |
At the United Kingdom Census 2001, Ayr had a population of 46,431, a fall of -3.2% on 1991.[9] Mid-2008 population estimates placed the total resident population at 46,070 making Ayr the 12th largest urban area in Scotland.[10]
Nearly 0.36% (167) people in the town can speak Scottish Gaelic, although South Ayrshire Council provides no educational support for the language.[11]
Ayr is served by 15 primary schools:
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| School | School Roll | Opened | Area Served | Notes |
| Ayr Academy | 715 | 1880 (current building) | North Ayr | Scotland's oldest secondary school |
| Belmont Academy | 1550 | 1960 (new campus opened in 2008) | South Ayr | 6th largest school in Scotland |
| Kyle Academy | 760 | 1979 | South Ayr | |
| Queen Margaret Academy | 662 | 1977 | Roman Catholic pupils in South Ayrshire | Only Roman Catholic school in South Ayrshire |
| Prestwick Academy | 1200 | 1902 | Prestwick, North Ayr, Symington and Monkton |
On 24 November 2006, it was revealed that Mainholm Academy would be closed permanently for safety reasons.[12] Pupils have been relocated to Ayr, Kyle, Belmont, and Queen Margaret academies.
Pupils living in North Ayr may happen to attend Prestwick Academy instead of Ayr's secondaries.
Wellington School is an independent day school in the Seafield area of Ayr. The school opened in 1836 providing private education for girls. As of 1994, Wellington has welcomed male and female pupils after Drumley House school (Mossblown) was incorporated into Wellington. It is the only independent school in Ayrshire.
Ayr College, formerly named Ayr Technical College provides further and higher education courses to the people of Ayrshire and beyond. SQA courses are available in a large variety of areas such as Mathematics and Computing, Social Sciences and practical subjects. Another organisation that provides further and higher education courses is the Scottish Agricultural College based two miles outside of Ayr in Auchincruive.
Ayr has two university campuses:
Situated on riverside site of the Craigie Estate, a new £70m campus brings together facilities for UWS and the Scottish Agricultural College. Construction was finished and the campus opened in August 2011.
To the north of Ayr is the adjoining town of Prestwick, which is famous for its golf and its aviation industry thanks to the presence of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Only 5 miles north of Ayr is Troon, also famous for its golf and for hosting the Open Championship. Ayr has three golf courses in Bellisle, Seafield and Dalmilling, as well as a private one called St Cuthberts.
Several scenes for the 2007 TV movie The Donald Gray Show were filmed in and around the town.
Other neighbouring places include Alloway, known for its associations with the poet Robert Burns. To the south is Craig Tara, a Haven (formerly Butlins) holiday park, and the fishing village of Dunure, where there is a ruined castle formerly owned by the Kennedy family. Ayr is twinned with Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France.
Ayr has four libraries plus a mobile library. The main library in Ayr and South Ayrshire is the Carnegie Library beside the River Ayr. The other libraries are:
North Ayr also has connections for Prestwick Library.
Ayr Racecourse is a well-known racecourse in Scotland and hosts both National Hunt and flat racing. It has the largest capacity in Scotland for horse racing. Notable events include the Scottish Grand National (April) and Ayr Gold Cup (September) as well as several night meetings. It was recently put up for sale by the owners and included the Western House Hotel as part of the potential sale.
Ayr has a senior football team, Ayr United F.C., who play at Somerset Park in Division 1 after gaining promotion in May 2011. They reached the final of the 2001-2002 Scottish League Cup competition. The club was formed in 1910 with the merger of Ayr F.C. (who were formed in 1879 by the merger of Ayr Thistle and Ayr Academical football clubs) and Ayr Parkhouse F.C..
Whitletts Victoria F.C. are a Junior side from the Whitletts area of Ayr.
Ayr's rugby union team, Ayr RFC, play at Millbrae and are reigning Scottish Cup Champions, and won the 2008/09 Scottish Hydro Premiership.
A rugby league team, Ayr Knights ARLFC, play at Auchincruive.
Ayr Curling Club play at the curling rink in Limekiln Road and Ayr's cricket team plays in Cambusdoon, Burns Wicket.
Ayr only has one leisure centre, this being the Citadel, which opened in 1997, located at the mouth of the River Ayr and at the seafront at the South Harbour area. Its facilities include a main hall measuring 34 × 27 m (112 × 89 ft). This hall can accommodate various sports including 5-a-side football, basketball, volleyball, netball, indoor hockey, indoor cricket practise, badminton and short tennis. As well as individual sports, sporting events and competitions, the hall has hosted exhibitions, concerts, trade fairs, election counts and awards ceremonies. The Citadel is an expansion of the Ayr swimming pool, which opened in 1972. The Citadel features a Dance Studio approx 124 m2 (1,330 sq ft). It is predominantly used for dance or exercise classes but also accommodates martial arts groups and drama workshops and two glass backed squash courts. The Citadel Leisure Centre in Ayr is home to South Ayrshire Volleyball Club[13] as well as being the town's only public swimming pool and diving pool. The leisure centre has squash courts, a gymnasium, dance studio, cafeteria and adjacent salons and youth club. The Citadel Leisure Centre is adjacent to the site of the old Ayr Citadel, a fort built to defend the old town. An Ayrshire basketball team, the Troon Tornadoes, play their national league matches at the Citadel, despite not being an Ayr team. Additionally, Ayr has a Strathclyde league basketball team, Ayr Storm.
Ayr is also home to Scottish Bowling. The greens at Northfield host the SBA and SWBA finals each year as well as the Hamilton Trophy final.
Speedway was staged at Dam Park in 1937, when two meetings, organised by Maurice and Roland Stobbart from Cumbria took place, featuring riders who raced in the north of England, at venues such as Workington and Hyde Road in Manchester.
Ayr has a sandy beach with an esplanade. This is very popular with joggers and day-trippers. Whitletts Activity Centre also serves the town of Ayr. It has an 11-a side outdoor soccer pitch and an indoor 5-a-side football pitch. Near Whitletts Activity Centre there is also a 5-a-side football complex called "Goals".
The NHS Ayrshire and Arran Health Board serves South, East and North Ayrshire. Part of Ayrshire and Arran's departmental headquarters is based in Ayr. Ayr used to have four NHS hospitals: Heathfield Hospital (originally a fever hospital, but latterly medical and ophthalmic), Seafield Hospital (children's), Ayr County (originally a voluntary hospital, and latterly confined to surgery) and Ailsa Hospital (psychiatric). It was then decided to build a hospital on the outskirts of Ayr called Ayr Hospital. Ayr Hospital opened in 1993. All the current hospitals are on the same road, next to each other.
Ayr currently has three hospitals:
Further along the same road is Hollybush House, used by a charity for the mental health welfare of ex-members of the UK Armed Forces.
Ayr is the regional headquarters of the Scottish Ambulance Service for south-west Scotland. It is located in Heathfield, next to the site of the old Heathfield Hospital, which has now been partly demolished.
Ayr has been twinned with Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Île-de-France since 1984.[15]
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